


Everything Is Fine

by UncreativeIndividual



Category: Star Trek: Lower Decks (Cartoon)
Genre: Anxiety, Awkward Crush, Emotional Hurt, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Sort Of Mentor T'ana
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:48:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26733118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UncreativeIndividual/pseuds/UncreativeIndividual
Summary: After several months serving together, Tendi begins to realize that she feels for Mariner as more than just a friend. This is not ideal for her.
Relationships: Beckett Mariner/D'Vana Tendi
Comments: 7
Kudos: 32





	1. No Big Deal

She was having lunch with the group when it hit her.

Mariner was telling a story about this time when a bunch of Gorn and Horta were were doing some dance-off competition. At least, that's what Tendi thought Mariner was talking about. She wasn't really focusing on the story, but more on Mariner herself. 

As soon as Tendi had joined the Cerritos, Mariner didn't hesitate to invite her into the small but close circle of friends she had. She didn't even know her for that long yet still hung out with Tendi a lot when they were off-duty as if they were long time friends. Whether it'd be hanging out in the Holodeck or playing music with Boimler (much to his dismay) or being introduced to some new Earth food & drink, Mariner did everything to make Tendi feel welcome, while also getting her to be more outgoing with events and, for the most part, open with other beings. Tendi didn't have many friends while at the academy and the few she did were ones she didn't really interact with much. Even during her childhood she focused more on academics than people. So this was all new for her, and something about Mariner attracted Tendi to her. She couldn't really explain it, but being with her just made Tendi....happy. She felt that way with Boimler & Rutherford, especially the latter. But with Mariner, it was different. Was this what Rutherford felt when he told her how he felt?

Ugh, why did she have to think about that? The day when Rutherford told her about his feelings for her was one of the worst days she ever had. It wasn't because of him, but herself. He took it very well, but you could see the disappointment and hurt in his eyes. She kept her distance from him for the rest of the day out of respect for him, but it only made it worse. By the time Rutherford had confronted her about it, it ended in a panic attack from her. He realized that she felt terrible for what had happened and had to let her know that he wasn't angry and he still wanted to be friends. He was the best. Tendi knew she was lucky to have him as her best friend-

Oh no.

It was just like that.

She had a crush on Mariner.

Tendi felt her body go cold upon this revelation.

She groaned, putting her head in her hands. At that point how she looked to everyone was the last thing on her mind.

"Does the story suck that much?"

Tendi's eyes shot open. Looking up, she saw all three of her friends looking at her. Rutherford & Boimler looked confused, but Mariner was a sort of amused look. Or maybe it was annoyed. Oh no, did she think Tendi was being a jerk?

"Wh-what?", was all Tendi could get out.

"My story. You don't find the image of a Gorn & Horta trying to outdo each other with the pop and lock hilarious?"

"NO! I mean, no I do! Sorry, I wasn't trying to be rude, I found it funny! I was just-I was just-I wa-"

"Tendi, chill out. Jeez, it's no big deal.", Mariner responded. Sensing that Tendi wasn't secure with that answer, she gave a slight chuckle to try to calm her. It seemed to work.

"Sorry.", Tendi began. "I just forgot that I had an assignment that Commander T'Ana wanted me to do. It was last minute thing and I forgot about it until now."

"Oh, okay. Well, I can't stop you, go do that."

Mariner seemed cool, but Tendi was sure that she at least felt a bit hurt. Still, she put on a fake smile.

"Okay, yeah I should head out." She eyed Rutherford desperately in a way to signal him to join her. He understood.

"Aw man, can I not be left alone with her until lunch break is over?", Boimler dryly quipped. 

"Oh fuck off, Brad.", Mariner snapped back.

"Brad? Are we at the first name point in our relationship?" He had become more comfortable with being snarky around the group, probably as a result of Mariner's influence.

"RELATIONSHIP?"

That was way too loud. Not only were Mariner & Boimler staring at her, but so was most of the dining room. "D'Vana, you idiot.", she thought to herself. 

There was a moment of silence that seemed to last forever.

Laughter came out of the two at the table. The rest of the room lost all interest in what was happening.

"That's gotta be a serious assignment.", Mariner got through. "Relationship!?", she said in a parody tone.

"Okay, they're not dating. Cool.", she thought to herself.

"You seem really tense today.", Boimler mentioned.

This was her chance to play it off cool.

"Yeah, yeah yeah. Sorry, I don't mean to take it out on you guys. I should get going. Come on, Sam." He complied and the two headed off quickly.

"I mean, you're not taking anything out.", Boimler started. "It's just-"

The turbolift shut quickly before he could finish. "...stress.", he finished.

As she & Rutherford set their respective decks, Tendi sighed loudly in relief.

"You don't actually have an assignment, do you?", Rutherford asked.

Tendi nodded as she blushed. He gave her a side hug, which she happily returned.

"I'm sure she's not mad at you. Mariner's a little petty, but she's not that petty. By dinner, you two will probably be chatting like nothing happened. Nothing to worry about."

Tendi nodded, and seemed to do better at convincing him that she was alright. Even if it wasn't. He knew her well, but not enough.

"Yeah, everything is fine."


	2. Just Keep It Together

Okay, so maybe she lied about the important assignment, but she did actually have work to do, so it's not like anyone would get suspicious. This was good for her.

For Tendi, work was always useful for getting her mind off of other things. There was always something to do in the medical bay if she searched hard enough, and she definitely searched hard. Being on a ship like this was part of her wildest dreams, and she was gonna take advantage of every second she had on it. Though in her pursuit of that goal, sometimes (alright, a lot of times) it would reach a point where her crewmates and higher ups would basically be begging her to go take a break. Especially the latter. There was one day where Commander T'Ana gave her praise for her bedside manner with a lot of patients after an incident at Risa. Before Tendi could take it in, T'Ana also asked her to please go to bed because it was almost midnight. 

Union rules, she figured. Or maybe in that one case it probably was just sleep.

But hey, if Rutherford, Mariner and Boimler were available, what's the issue in taking a break? Especially with Mariner, just getting to sit near her was always a highlight of her day. She needed to ask her how she was able to show off that ponytail so well-

"NO, NO! Think of things other than her.", she silently reprimanded herself.

Rutherford! Always fun to talk with him about how their days were, he had good stories from engineering. She still doesn't know why he hadn't gotten a promotion yet, even his commanders knew how well he did.

And Boimler, he....now that she thought about it, she didn't know much about Boimler. I mean, she liked and considered him a friend, but there wasn't too much that they-

"ENSIGN TENDI!"

Tendi might as well have jumped through the roof like a cartoon character from the 1950s with how much that yell shook her. The shock turned to fear, she knew that voice and tone mixture.

"Commander T'Ana!", she replied as she turned around. She didn't even attempt to play off her shock. She knew her commander would look through it. Tendi swore the Caitian had the ability to easily read other species' body language.

"Where exactly are you?"

"Uh, right here, Commander."

"I mean your mind, where is your mind?"

"Oh! Uh, on cleaning the equipment, of course! Just trying to get everything I need to get done, well, done!"

"Really? Because it looks to me that you've been cleaning the same Protophaser over and over again and ignoring the other instruments."

And they can also easily call out lies, thought admittedly she didn't even try with that one. At that point, Tendi just put her head down in shame. But that just seemed to irritate T'Ana more.

"Ensign, what's going on? Today you've been sloppy, unfocused and seemingly disinterested in your work.", the latter interrogated.

"No!", Tendi quickly responded. "No it's not that I'm disinterested. I've never felt that way about this."

"But you don't deny the other traits you've shown?"

Reluctantly, Tendi responded only with: "Yes".

"Okay, then what is the source of this distraction?", T'Ana asked.

The doors to the cleaning facility opened up, revealing Mariner.

Tendi was 100% convinced some higher being was messing with her.

"Hey Commander, Shaxs wanted me to tell you that he is still open to the 'training procedure' with you tonight.", Mariner revealed.

"Refer to him with respect, Mariner. He is Lieutenant Shaxs. And why do you say training procedure like that?", T'Ana responded.

"Alright, LIEUTENANT Shaxs. I don't know why he wanted me to tell you, but I did, now you know and I have to get back to work."

"He sent you because someone has to torture me.", Tendi thought.

"Oh, hey Tendi."

"Hey, Mariner."

"So uh, are we cool with earlier? You seemed kinda irritated with me. Did I do something?"

"No, no not at all!" Tendi's smile was genuine this time. "Like Brad said, I was just stressed and I took it out on you guys. I should be the one apologizing to you."

"Nah, it's cool. You weren't being a jerk or anything."

"Okay, I'm glad you understand."

"We're cool?" Mariner held up her fist.

"We're cool.", Tendi said while returning the fist bump.

"Nice. Well, I gotta go. See you later.", Mariner parted with.

"Bye.", Tendi simply gave.

Okay, maybe things are starting to work out. She doesn't have to worry about Mariner for right now, since it seems like she still liked her enough to still be friends. She didn't want to get ahead of herself and assume this meant greater things, but it's a start, and made her feel secure. Enough that she forgot that she wasn't alone and gave out a very audible sigh. One of those, "I'm head over heels in love" sighs that you saw in really old movies.

Then she remembered Commander T'Ana was still there.

Tendi turned to her to find that the doctor had a...curious look on her face. Her anger was gone, but this might have been worse. Tendi just wanted to disintegrate at this point.

"I'll get back to work, Commander.", she said, returning to the table with the instruments. "I promise no more distractions."

"Understood.", said T'Ana, as she went for the exit. By now, Tendi was more focused, though her thoughts were still flooded. Only now it was about how horrible today had-

Wait, did she hear Commander T'Ana snicker?


	3. You're Doing Well

At dinner, everyone had some sort of unique experience. 

Boimler was attempting to drink away that day's misfortunes (something about a bridge collapse) with as many unsweetened iced teas as possible. Poor guy never seemed to catch a break. Rutherford's implant was malfunctioning AGAIN despite getting a fix two days ago (that new engineer must really suck), and was trying to give him attack strategies against his food. He wasn't gonna be able to go in and set up a meeting until tomorrow, and it could be up to 3 days before anything was actually done. And Mariner was talking about her theory on T'Ana & Shaxs relationship. It was strange yet funny how she was so interested in the personal lives of the people she disliked so much.

As for Tendi, she felt more comfortable and willing to speak than she was throughout the day while also doing her best to comfort her friends going through distress. After a while, she figured the best solution was, what else, alcohol. Specifically, the frozen margaritas with salt that Mariner loved so much. Not that that was the reason why she was getting them. They seemed to do well with getting Sam and Brad's spirits up while making Beckett excited. After finishing them, the latter asked Tendi if she could get some more with her. She was happy to do so, though didn't want to go far past that first round since tomorrow was another diplomatic mission.

Before they could put in their order to the replicator, Mariner spoke up.

"Okay so, I was kinda lying about why I wanted to get the drinks with you.", she said.

"Oh, you don't want any more? Because I was only in the mood for one."

"Oh no, I do want another, but I wanted to find some moment where it would just be you and me so I could ask you something."

"Really? Well, what did you want to ask?", Tendi questioned, doing her best to hide her excitement.

"So, you know that diplomatic mission we're doing with the kangaroo species tomorrow?"

"Of course, but aren't they called-"

"Yeah so, I was wondering if you wanted to go with me to the surface to drop off some of the supplies if things actually go well."

Internally, Tendi's thoughts went to: "OH MY GOD SHE WANTS ME TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH HER, I GET TIME WITH JUST HER!". But externally-

"Don't you usually go with Brad on these things?"

Mariner gave a small giggle. Tendi was trying not to showcase how cute she thought it was.

"Sorry, but when you call him Brad I just find it funny. But yeah, I usually do but he can't come tomorrow. He has to stay on the ship to deal with the bridge."

"Oh, that sucks."

"Yeah, funny part too is that it genuinely wasn't his fault, but because he walked in right as the thing collapsed, he got in trouble with the guys that actually did it."

"He has really bad luck."

"Totally, he's got me as his best friend.", Mariner quipped, laughing at her own joke.

"Well, I don't think that's bad luck. I'd say the opposite in fact."

"Oh, I know. I'm his good luck charm." Mariner gave her a nudge with her elbow. "So, you wanna come or not."

"Definitely!", Tendi excitedly said. "I'd love to work with you. I mean, if you're okay with it."

"Totally, I'm glad you're cool with it, especially since it's so last minute."

"Oh it's no problem. I'll just put in that I'll join the medical team on the ground."

"Well cool, that's settled. Now it's margarita time.", Mariner said, putting in for four of the drinks. "Oh wait, you didn't want one, right?"

"Yeah, but you can have mine.", Tendi responded as the replicator dinged to indicate they were ready.

"Thanks!" Mariner grabbed the drinks and headed back to the table.

Somehow, Tendi's mind thought now would be a good time to ask her a question.

"Wait! Uh, I want to ask you something too!", she blurted out, immediately regretting it.

"What is it?", Mariner asked.

"Uh....I wanted to know.....how you get that ponytail to look so nice."

Mariner understandably looked confused. Tendi was kicking herself

"Uh, I just try to keep the hair and the same length, not too far past the shoulders. The clip is simple, not that different from what you you find at the dollar store. So, nothing too much to it. Are you looking to grow one for yourself?"

"Oh no, I just was curious." Tendi was hoping she would accept that explanation.

"Alright. Well come on, Boimler's probably on tea number seven by now." Mariner said, looking like she didn't mind the question. Tendi allowed herself to breathe.

The rest of dinner was wonderful. That night, Tendi tried to sleep, but her excitement was keeping her from doing that. Tomorrow was important, and Starfleet's mission was first and foremost for her, but getting to do it with Beckett was an incredible bonus.


	4. Never Mind, Everything Is Falling Apart

The planet, called Gersh, was lovely. A more savanna-like world, it had some of the best views of all the places they had visited while also containing a really kind and noble population. They were known as the Lenian, and their government were more than happy to cooperate with Starfleet. For most of the day, everything went according to plan. All that was needed was a handshake and everything was good to go. 

Like the other worlds they visited, Tendi was blown away by everything, even with the monotonous and tiring work. She wished Mariner felt the same way, but she was just more interested in getting the mission over with. Unless there was something to do with action, Mariner generally didn't care about what was going on in a mission. Though to her credit, Tendi tried her hardest.

"Did you know that they only have one religion here? I think they're only the sixth known species with that distinction.", Tendi told Mariner, who was paying attention, but clearly showed no interest in the subject.

"No, I didn't know that."

"They also don't have any type of traditional entertainment. They see it as a distraction from work, evolution and family."

"Ah, so they're smart?"

"Well yes, they do have a higher average IQ than other speci-"

"That was more of a hypothetical question, Tendi."

"Oh." That got a chuckle out of Mariner.

"Ten, I know you love seeing everything about everything, but, man, I just wish something was happening. I mean, I know diplomatic missions usually don't have much to them but yeesh, do the Lenian have to be so plain?"

"Well, then what do you find to be interesting?"

"Not much, at least from what I've seen." A spark seemed to go off in her eyes after she said that. "How about you show me?"

"Show you what?"

"Something! You're always so invested in what goes on, so why don't you find something for us to do while the Captain babbles with the Lenian?"

"I don't know, they might get mad at us for going off from the mission. Plus, do you really think I could find something that you'd like."

"Yeah, I mean, you managed to make looking at the warp core interesting. Plus, Boimler and I go off all the time and no one gets mad. Sometimes it even helps like that zombie outbreak when you joined."

D'Vana thought about it and after thinking of somewhere that stood out to her, decided to take up Mariner's offer.

"Sure. I know something."

"Sweet!", Mariner exclaimed. "Come on, let's go now before the mission's done."

"Though do you and Boimler go off on missions together, or is he usually just following you so something doesn't blow up?"

"It's usually the latter."

The two shared a laugh.

-

There was a lake at the edge of the south side of the city they were at that they went to. The non-mammal life under it gave it a unique, multicolored look to it. What was especially exciting was how the colors would change throughout the day. Orange, blue, yellow, green; it was gorgeous. Tendi was in love with it.

"I gotta admit, this is actually really cool.", Mariner said.

"Yeah, I've never seen something like this. It's like something you read about in a story."

"What do you think swimming in this is like."

"I don't know, but I bet the water on you is all colorful."

"It would make me greener than I already am!", Tendi cracked. Mariner found that funny.

"You know, I wanna find out. Let's go swimming!"

"What!?" Now D'Vana was concerned. 

"Come on, it'd be fun! When's the last time you had a good swim anyways?"

"Mariner, as much as I love....hanging out with you, there is a limit!"

"What, it's not like as soon as we get in the water we're gonna be teleported up in our underwear."

"There is a very good chance that could still happen!"

"No way it'd be 'very good'. Like a 1/10 chance that happens."

"Listen, Beckett-"

"Beckett? Man, you really like me enough to call me by my first name, don't you?" Beckett meant for that to be just a friendly and lighthearted joke. But for Tendi, it was the line that she crossed.

"Yes, because I consider you a genuine friend. But clearly you just see it as one giant joke. I'm trying to keep you from getting in trouble, and the same goes for Brad and Sam, too. We all want you to do well and get you interested in anything that isn't just an energy rush for you, but you just keep pushing and taking advantage of that trust! And I'm getting sick of it! I'm sick of your selfishness!"

The silence that followed was intense. Only the sound of the waves of the lake could be heard.

Tendi quickly calmed down, and immediately regretted what she said. Especially after seeing her friend.

Mariner's face showed a sign of hurt, something that the Orion had never seen from her. There was no anger, no pushback, no response other than a look of genuine sadness.

It was the last thing Tendi saw before the shockwave pushed them both to the ground, and the feeling of a strong force to the head that knocked her out.

-

When she awoke, Tendi felt dazed. All she could see was the dust clouds and nearby rubble. It took her a while to get up and to recover her vision. When she did, she could make out the shadow of something near her.

It look like parts of a figure under a round shape. There was no movement from any of it.

Even in that state, Tendi understood what it was, and instantly went up to her feet to run towards it, pushing back on the pain in her head as much as she could.

What she found was exactly what she feared: Mariner, underneath a pile of building material and with a clear wound to the back of the head. She wasn't moving, and it didn't look like she was breathing either.

Tendi threw out her comm as quickly as possible in a panic. "This is Ensign Tendi! I'm at the edge of the south side of the town! Ensign Mariner is wounded and stuck under heavy rubble! I need medical assistance immediately!"

She applied some gauze around the head wound and did her best to try to get her out from under her trap. But her strength wasn't enough, and it took the entire medical team to get her out when they eventually arrived.

When the Orion medic was asked about the time between when she found Mariner and when she was eventually brought to the medical bay, she estimated that it was around twenty-eight minutes.

The last time she saw Mariner was her being wheeled into the bay, being given oxygen by Commander T'Ana.


	5. What You Tell Yourself

It was a quake that caused the destruction. A Level 4 one, specifically, going off mere seconds after the agreement had finished. On Gersh, the quakes normally didn't go above Level 3 this time of year, but, planets being planets, nothing was completely predictable. When the quake finished, and the dust settled, it took two hours to find what they thought was everyone that needed assistance. After getting more of the medical team down to the city, Commander Ransom was about to beam up their injured crew when Tendi's voice came on the comm. The rest, you already know.

Tendi couldn't join the rest of the team due to her own injury. Nothing major or serious, but still notable enough that it was best for her to stay on the ship. She was there for the rest of the day. No one told her about what happened with the other injured persons, including Mariner.

"You brought her there. Her life is in danger because of you." That was the thought that entered her head. And it wouldn't leave.

-

Rutherford & Boimler were there as soon as she was discharged the next morning, embracing her with a tight hug. They were thankful that at least one of their friends was okay, because they knew as much about Mariner's current condition as Tendi did. They couldn't find T'Ana to get answers, and Boimler & Rutherford had work to do. Tendi could see that they were terrified about how she was doing, especially Boimler. The two, despite their constant fighting, were almost as close as friends could be. As for herself, she was told to take it easy for the day; she could return to work tomorrow. She figured maybe it was best to take a nap. There really wasn't much to do anyway other than stay at her bunk with nothing but her thoughts. 

Her thoughts that were still telling her the same thing: "You put her in danger. She's there because of you."

They kept repeating over and over again, no matter how hard she tried to get rid of them. Eventually, it was too much for her. She audibly broke down in tears, back away from the bunk hallway. She was just thankful that no one was around to see her. Eventually, she did fall asleep.

-

When she awoke, she found Rutherford & Boimler sitting by her bed, speaking about something before noticing that she was up.

"Oh hey, how are you feeling?", Sam asked.

"Physically or emotionally?", Tendi responded.

"How about just physically?", Boimler indicated. They seemed to be trying to give her enough space emotionally without pushing her too far with their questions.

"My head's still ringing a little, but I feel fine, mostly. The nap probably helped. How are you guys?"

"Fine.", Boimler started. "Work helped us get our minds off of, I guess everything. It's still hard though not to think about her. I get why they won't tell us, but...." He seemed to lose track of his thoughts.

"It's a lot to take in.", Rutherford said like he was finishing Brad's statement. Tendi nodded, starting a moment of silence between the three.

"Do you want to try and see if we can find out more about her now?", she asked the two.

Sam agreed immediately, but Brad took a second to think about it before saying yes.

The three of them went straight for the medical bay, waiting outside a while for Commander T'Ana. When she eventually did leave, she noticed them immediately. Her coat had several blood stains on it and her fur looked messy.

"Now is not the best time.", T'Ana started, as if she knew what was coming.

"Please Commander, we want to know how Mariner is doing.", Rutherford asked.

"I can't disclose any information on her status at this time."

"We don't want to know any specific details, just if she's okay.", Boimler added, his tone much more desperate and pleading. 

"I understand you're her friends, but-"

"I brought her down to were she was found, Commander.", Tendi broke in. "It's my fault she's there. I betrayed her trust, but they didn't. You don't have to tell me, but at least tell Boimler & Rutherford."

Tendi felt like a weight was lifted off her shoulders. But even despite this, she was terrified to look back at her friends and their potential judgement. Which is why she was surprised when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She saw that they were not mad, or even showed the slightest bit of judgement. It was only sympathy in their eyes.

As for T'Ana, she still seemed reluctant, but, giving it some thought, sighed, and told the trio:

"I'll see what I can do."

-

"Tendi, don't blame yourself."

Boimler & Rutherford did their best to reassure her after their revelation. They were standing outside in a hallway that was well above the lower decks. There was a quarters nearby that was traditionally reserved for guests. T'Ana was inside, speaking to...someone, they weren't sure yet.

"Yeah, like Rutherford said, you had no idea that the quake would happen, and even if you were at fault, the commanders would be talking with you by now.", Boimler pointed out.

"You don't understand, I brought her there, she trusted me with where we were going.", Tendi replied.

"All you did was bring her to a lake, it wasn't like it was a special mission or operation.", Rutherford countered.

"It was still-I...." Tendi couldn't find the words.

"You didn't do anything wrong. What happened was out of your control. All this is gonna do is hurt yourself.", Boimler reassured.

"I still feel responsible, Brad."

"I get that, and that's normal. That's how I'm feeling too, because I was supposed to be down there with her. But guilt and actual responsibility are two different things. And you can't let the former control you."

Tendi still wasn't relieved by this, but it did help to soothe her worries. Which was good, because a few minutes after their conversation ended, T'Ana finally returned from the quarters. Alongside a familiar face: Captatin Freeman. Mariner's mother. 

She looked like she hadn't slept in ages.

"I assume you're Beckett's friends.", she asked the three, who nodded yes. "Then am I correct in assuming I can trust you all to keep what I'm about to tell you all a secret from the rest of the crew?" More nods from them.

"Okay. Beckett is alive, and her vitals are stable. However, she did lose access to oxygen for a few minutes and her body is still recovering from the damage from the rubble. Her condition isn't at critical yet, but for her safety, she's been put in a medically-induced coma. We're hoping for the best, but that's all we can really do while Commander T'Ana and her team help her. Hope."

Their worst fears, that Beckett was dead or on life support, were proven to be wrong. But her current condition wasn't much better. Freeman could tell that they weren't totally satisfied with that answer.

"Would you like to see her?", she asked them.

-

On the bed, Mariner laid still, dressed in your typical hospital gown and hooked up to your usual hospital equipment. Only with one exception: the ventilator supplying her oxygen. It was big, bulky, looked uncomfortable, and the beeping of the heart monitor only added to the depressing visual. 

Tendi, Boimler and Rutherford stood nearby her at the bedside, trying to take in what they saw. But all it did was just worsen their fears.

Like the Captain said, all they could do was hope in that moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longest chapter so far, as well as the saddest. I'll try to keep the latter that way for the rest of the story.


	6. You're Terrible At Lying (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter chapter due to time constraints. This will be a two-parter. I promise the second half will be more lighthearted.

T'Ana noticed a change in Tendi's demeanor in the days after she visited Mariner. Her high spirited and active attitude that had been there before was gone, replaced with a more removed and seemingly depressed type. It was like a different person had entered the bay, and strangely, it wasn't sitting well with T'Ana. She was starting to miss that kinda annoying yet sincere excitement that the Ensign had previously. It wasn't that common to have someone be this invested into what is usually some really dirty work (for non-gothic reasons, at least) or keep a positive outlook when the ship was on fire (both figuratively and literally). It wasn't as if her work had faltered, but the energy was gone.

It didn't just stop at work either. She caught Tendi with her friends during lunch, all of them attempting to stay positive but they were clearly miserable. One particularly harsh moment was when, who was it, Ensign Boimler? The one with purple hair was telling stories about Mariner that were supposed to be fun and cheer everyone up. All it resulted in was him crying his eyes out while Tendi and that third friend (Rutherford was his name, right?) just did their best to comfort them. 

This was likely a result of the rules that they placed on Mariner's quarters. The visit they had was the only one they would be allowed because Captain Freeman wanted to limit any suspicion or attention to her daughter's condition. The only people who entered that room were Freeman, T'Ana and a few other doctors. The ensign's status had gotten better over time, but it still wasn't enough to safely declare her in state above "stable". T'Ana believed they were doing the right thing, but she understood the effect it had on Tendi and her group.

So, she decided to try something. Tendi was finishing up her shift for the day, being the last one out the door. T'Ana took this as the perfect opportunity to approach her.

"Well done today, Ensign Tendi.", she started.

"Thank you commander.", Tendi responded. Before, a compliment would get an eager reaction from her. Now, just a simple response. Not a rude one, but one with no enthusiasm. It confirmed T'Ana's suspicions.

"Kid, are you alright?"

"Yes, Commander. Why wouldn't I be?" There was barely a change in her tone of voice with that statement.

"If you're okay, you have a strange way of showing it."

"It's just me being me, Commander."

"No, it isn't. You work with me almost every day, I know what you're like."

Tendi attempted to leave the room, but T'Ana stood in her way.

"Commander, please-"

"Ensign, I need you to listen to me."

"Commander, I need to leave."

"Leave for what?"

Tendi couldn't think of an excuse to give. She just wanted to get out. T'Ana decided to use this beat to her advantage.

"Something is clearly bothering you, and do not tell me it's what happened with you and Mariner, because I can see it's more than just that. So please, just be honest with me."

Tendi could barely put together a single word. She was stammering, her mouth was quivering, and she was barely holding back tears. T'Ana, realizing she likely went too far, decided to soften her strategy. Instead of further interrogation, she just pulled Tendi into a hug, surprising the latter. But after taking it in, she returned it. The two just stood there, silently embracing aside from the occasional sniffle from Tendi.

After the moment passed, T'Ana broke the silence.

"Would you like a drink, Ensign?"

-

"I never took you as someone who drink whiskey.", T'Ana said after receiving their drinks.

"I don't, but I figured now was the best time to give it a shot.", Tendi said in a tone that must have been intended to be somewhat humorous.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" T'Ana said, beginning the conversation.

Tendi tried to think of a topic to start on. "Well, what do you want to know?"

T'Ana took a second to think.

"Would you prefer if I be more blunt with my questions, or rather I ease into it?" 

"Blunt, I think that would be better. Rip the band-aid off, you know?", Tendi chose. She was surprised by how mellow T'Ana was.

"I am going to ask you something personal, just letting you know."

"That's fine." Tendi decided to take a sip of her drink. This seemed like it would go well.

"Okay. Do you have feelings for Mariner?"

Tendi nearly choked on her drink after hearing that.

"What!?"


	7. You're Terrible At Lying (Part 2)

"Hello, Ensign Tendi?" 

It took the snapping of T'Ana's fingers against her face to get Tendi to come back into reality. Did the Commander just ask her- 

No, no, it's just her mind. It's all the stress again. 

"Sorry, sorry Commander. I must have phased out for a second. My bad, where were we?", Tendi said collecting herself. 

"I asked you if you had feelings for Ensign Mariner." 

Oh. 

"What kind of feelings?" 

"Ensign, do not play dumb. You said you wanted me to be more blunt and we won't get anywhere if you aren't honest with me. You know what kind of feelings I'm asking about." 

Tendi wondered why she still bothered to lie.

"How did you know?", she asked T'Ana. 

"Excuse me?" 

"How did you figure out how I think about her?" 

"You basically gave it away the day before the incident."

Tendi cringed as soon as she mentioned that. She knew exactly what she was talking about.

"The protophaser thing?"

"Yes."

"Yeah.", Tendi quietly admitted. "I only realized earlier that day how I really felt about her."

"Really?"

"Just mere hours earlier. I know these kind of relationships, it's not the professional thing to do, but-" T'Ana placed a hand on Tendi's shoulder, stopping the latter midsentence. 

"Ensign, there's nothing wrong with relationships between the crew on ships like these. If anything, it's common as hell. Even I-" T'Ana chose to stop at that point.

"Even you what?"

T'Ana knew the Orion would only become more curious if she tried to keep it a secret. So she (reluctantly) chose to tell.

"Don't tell anyone, but Lieutenant Shaxs and I have been dating in secret for a while."

"SHAXS!?"

Oops, that brought a bit too much attention.

"Ssshh!" T'Ana attempted to control the narrative, but realizing that would only make people more curious, she knew the best course of action was to lie. "Yes, Shaxs is going to assist us in an upcoming assignment within the medical field." That seemed to convince everyone it wasn't worth their attention.

"Sorry.", Tendi squeaked out. "But, I didn't think you and Shaxs were actually a thing."

"What do you mean 'actually'?", T'Ana questioned.

"Mariner told me about a theory she had that you two were dating."

"Of course she did.", the medic muttered, taking a rather large sip of her drink. "I'm sorry, we've gone way off from our original topic. So, we've established that the day before, you realized you felt for Mariner in *that* way.

"Yes. I knew by that point that I saw her as a genuine close friend, but, then I thought about it more, how I tried to go on more assignments with her, how I spoke with her more often, this one time at the Halloween party where she was drunk and tried doing the tango with me."

"That sounds horrible."

"It was, but it was....cute. And it was nice to finally connect with other beings after how I grew up. Not just her, but Rutherford and Boimler, too."

That last part grabbed T'Ana's attention. "So in a way, they are like family to you."

Tendi nodded. "Yes."

"Okay, so do you feel a certain responsibility when something happens, like with Mariner?"

"I do. But that instance, I brought her to the place that got her into that coma."

"What led up to that incident?"

"Well, Mariner wanted to see something "interesting" on the planet, so I brought her to this really lovely lake, and...well, you know."

Something about that didn't sit right with the Caitian doctor.

"I feel like there's something you're holding back from me." Tendi gripped her drink tighter after hearing that. She didn't want to tell her, but she knew Dr. T'Ana would eventually get it out of her. So, just best to get it out of the way immediately.

"I...blew up on her. I was worried already about what she was doing, how it would interfere with the mission, and I got angry at her for being irresponsible and disrespectful." 

Internally, T'Ana was thankful that someone close to Mariner told her exactly what she and others had been thinking. But she understood that would not be appropriate for the time being.

Tendi continued. "I don't want that to be the last thing I ever say to her. And I'm worried that even if she does wake up, what I told her just made things worse between us."

T'Ana nodded. "I understand. You're scared of the potential ramifications of what you said on the relationship you two already had. It's normal to have that feeling, and is a sign that this is a relationship you truly care about." Tendi was thankful that she understood, even if it didn't completely reassure her.

"But," T'Ana continued, "for all my issues with Ensign Mariner, from what I've seen, she seems to be someone that returns the loyalty that she's given. Am I correct on that?"

"Yes, you are."

"Well, then I would say you probably have nothing to worry about. I doubt she will hold a grudge against you, especially given the things you two do together. Maybe a conversation on her personality would be good to have, but I don't think you'll need to do too much more beyond that."

Tendi's spirits were starting to brighten, but there was still *the* question.

"How do I tell her?"

"Oh, yes.", T'Ana spoke, taking another drink. "Well, if she wakes up-when she wakes up, give it some time. Make sure things are alright between you two, let her recover, and then, when you think the time is right, tell her how you feel. But that last one is important. You can't force yourself to tell her, that will only unnerve you more. Don't just think about her, remember to think about yourself too. That's the only way relationships can be successful."

Tendi, overcome with relief, was now the one of the duo giving sudden hugs to the other, only hers was tighter.

"Thank you, Dr. T'Ana.", Tendi said.

"Of course, Ensign.", T'Ana responded, giving her a pat on the shoulder.

Breaking the hug, one question was still on Tendi's mind: "How are you this good at talking with people about this?" 

T'Ana motioned her to come closer so she could whisper the answer: "Almost no one else knows this, but I actually was a relationship counselor back on my planet before I became a full time doctor."

The two shared a laugh at that.


	8. Go For It

Dinner always seemed to have something happening, usually to Tendi's chagrin. But thankfully, this time it was actually something good. Their discussion revealed that they both shared a decent amount in common with their love of ship life and all the little things that made the Cerritos stand out. Rutherford finally got the bug in his implant removed and told about some of the strange things that his implant did before the fix. It was a mostly relaxed evening, though the conversation inevitably lead back to their missing friend.

"So, do you mind me asking something about Mariner?", Boimler said to Tendi.

Reluctantly, Tendi allowed him, unsure of what it could be about.

"Has Dr. T'Ana told you anything about her?"

Tendi shook her head, clearly disappointing him.

"Sorry." Rutherford chimed in, as if he was finishing for Boimler. "We were just curious if she would let you know anything, given your guys' partnership."

"Oh, we don't have a partnership. But she is cool.", Tendi corrected.

"Are you feeling better about her? You aren't still beating yourself up over what happened, right?"

"Yeah, sort of."

"If you still need to talk to anyone, we're open anytime.", Boimler chimed in.

"I know, and I appreciate you guys. Right now, I'm more worried how she'll think about me."

"Why do you say that?", Rutherford asked.

"Well, you guys know about how I yelled at her before what happened.", she started, getting nods from the two. "So, I just don't want her to hate me, because she looked hurt by what I told her and if she blames me for what happened."

"I doubt she would hold that against you. I mean, think of all the things I've gotten into with her and yet we're still close.", Boimler reassured. "She'll probably just brush it off, joke about it and everything will be fine before we get into the next insane event. You know how it is."

"How what is?"

Tendi tensed up after hearing those words. It was like time stopped for her. Not the case for her friends though, who instantly turned their heads. Boimler's shock turned to excited happiness, rushing out of his seat and practically falling onto Mariner, almost pushing her off her crutches.

"Boimler! I'm happy to see you too, but can you not send me back to the med bay?", Mariner squealed out while being squeezed by him. He quickly complied.

"Sorry, I'm-oh man I'm just glad you're okay. I mean, all of us are." Rutherford came up, being more gentler with greeting Mariner as confirmation of what Boimler said. But Tendi could only stay seated, still unsure how to process this. The other three took notice, staring at her in a way that she couldn't make out what they were thinking. It stayed that way for a bit.

"Well, come on, come join in on the group hug.", Mariner finally told Tendi, giving the warm smile that the Orion always loved. She got up and gratefully hugged her friend, almost tearing up when she felt the hug being returned.

"Mariner....", Tendi began, trying to figure out what to say. Was now a good time to apologize? Or would it be to early? "Mariner I-"

"Ten, if you're gonna apologize for what happened on Gersh, you don't gotta say anything. I'm not mad at you. I...was acting like a shithead, trying to get you to go swimming in the lakes, and you got mad at me for a reason."

Boimler snickered. "THIS TIME it was for a reason?"

"Boimler, I'm gonna allow that because it means you aren't in full pity mode for me. And also because I can't do much with these things." Boimler allowed himself to continue to laugh. Tendi was just thankful that Mariner was cool with her. Things seemed to be going somewhat back to normal.

"Sorry I couldn't tell you guys that I was fine earlier.", Mariner continued.

"Earlier?", Rutherford questioned.

"Yeah, I woke up two weeks ago, but Mom-Captain Freeman wanted privacy for me. I wouldn't really care, but I guess she didn't want a repeat of what happened when...you know, the truth came out." 

"I guess I get that.", Boimler said.

"Are you going to physical therapy?", asked Rutherford.

"Yeah, it's pretty annoying. But apparently I'm doing well, like further along than usual for someone who had the injuries I got. Dr. T'Ana said that I could be good to go by the middle of next month."

That timeline lined up perfectly with an event that Tendi was looking forward to, and she wanted to see if Mariner would like to go. She just needed the right opportunity, and waited until after their two friends had to head out before taking it.

"Hey, Mariner?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I speak with you about something?"

Mariner sighed. "Tendi, if this is still about what happened-"

"No! No it's not, I just wanted to get some time alone with you before I got back to work."

"Alright, I just don't want to see you beat yourself up over this. Like I said, you had a reason to get mad at me, and I'm sorry that I used you the way I did."

"It's okay, water under the bridge, you know."

"Cool. So what else you wanna talk about? Or you wanna look at the warp core with me? I mean, I'd understand, who wouldn't want to do that alone with me?", Mariner said with a wink. There's the woman that Tendi loved.

"Well, I did want to ask you something. You said you're expected to be done with physical therapy by mid-December, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, the Christmas party is happening around that time and....I was wondering if....you'd like to go to it with me.", Tendi said, her voice getting quieter with each pause.

Mariner seemed to ponder it for a second.

"You want me to be like, your date?"

Tendi began to panic again.

"No, not like that but-"

"I'm kidding, Ten! I know what you mean. Yeah, I'd like to go with you. I'm sure Boimler and Rutherford will go with us too but if they don't I'm cool with you."

"Great!", Tendi excitedly shouted. "Well, I'll see you later. I have to get back to work."

"Alright, see you around. Tell Dr. Furball I said hi. Don't tell her I said that though."

-

"You seem to be in a good mood.", Dr. T'Ana noted as Tendi entered the medical bay.

"Well, Mariner's out of her quarters, so that helped."

"Oh, right. Sorry that I couldn't tell you or your friends."

"It's alright, I understand why you couldn't." Tendi's smile began to wide, with the doctor taking notice.

"Is there something else that happened?"

Tendi was practically beaming at this point. "I asked Mariner if she would accompany me to the Christmas party."

T'Ana looked surprised. "You asked her out already?"

"Well, I didn't call it a date, more of a hangout with her. To try to be closer with her"

"It's meant to be a date isn't it?"

"Well I suppose so.", Tendi stated, before realizing what she said and putting her hand over her mouth in immediate regret. That got a laugh out of T'Ana.

"Kid, you're a riot. She say yes?" Tendi nodded. "Well good for you, and the best of luck. I mean that." Tendi became less tense, remembering that the doctor genuinely had the best intentions.

"But seriously though Ensign, it's time for work."


	9. Better To Try

"You are going to do great. You are going to do great. You are going to have a good time with Beckett, dance with her, and you will tell her how you feel with no fear."

Tendi kept repeating this to herself in the mirror. The Christmas party would begin in 10 minutes, and she was attempting to collect herself before heading out. She had weeks to get ready, had the advice of Dr. T'Ana to counter her her fear, all the time spent with Mariner to know how to talk to her in that atmosphere and had repeatedly practiced how she would reveal the truth to her.

And of course, right before the party, it was as if none of it ever happened and she was going in blind. She was just getting over a panic attack 30 minutes ago and had spent the last 10 minutes pacing around the room to calm down. 

It wasn't going well, to put it simply.

"Keep it together Tendi. Just think about the good stuff that's gonna happen. In an hour or two, it's just gonna be you and her, with Sam and Brad, too. You're gonna have fun, it's going to go well. You are going to do great. You are going to do great. You're going to have a good time with Beckett, and you will tell her-"

A knock came at the door of the bathroom.

"Tendi? You in there?"

Oh god, that was Mariner. Tendi fixed up herself quickly and got her act together before going to the door.

"Oh, hi Mariner!", Tendi greeted.

"Hey, was wondering where you were. You weren't at the bunks and Boimler and Rutherford said they hadn't seen you for a while."

"Oh yeah, I was just getting ready for tonight. Sorry if I made you worry."

"It's no big deal. Come on, let's go. Party started a few minutes ago."

"Oh it started already? I'm sorry."

Mariner sighed. "Ten, honey, can you do me a favor?"

"Yes?"

"No apologizing for the rest of the night. Okay?", Mariner asked, putting her hands on Tendi's shoulders.

"Okay.", Tendi softly said, allowing herself to smile.

-

"How is someone already drunk, and why is that person not me?", Mariner asked.

The individual in question was Ransom, who apparently got stood up by another salt vampire and was going back and forth between drunkenly rambling about his luck or crying. Was it salt vampire number 3 by now? Whatever, Ransom's misery wasn't why they were here (though Mariner probably got a kick out of it).

"Soooo, what do you want to do first? I can see Boimes and Ruther over there, so we can go down and chat for a bit. Or if you want to get drinks, or we can start dancing. Whatever is cool with you."

Tendi, keeping her best straight face, decided: "Uh, I'd like to wait a bit before doing anything, if that's okay with you."

"Yeah, of course. Let's catch up with them.", Mariner stated, leading Tendi to the table where their friends were. For a while, the four of them just conversed about life and what they saw around them. Their crewmates were amusing to watch even if they weren't the best people. But inevitably, Mariner got restless.

"Alright, who wants some drinks?", Mariner asked everyone.

"Mariner, it's almost ten.", Boimler dryly said.

"Yeah, and at least a third of the people here have already had at least one drink. Come on, it's a party, it's basically law to get a couple."

"I'm okay, honestly. I got too much stuff to do tomorrow anyways.", Rutherford politely declined.

"You know my position.", Boimler added. Mariner was clearly disappointed but seemed to be less pushy than usual.

"I'll go with you.", Tendi volunteered. That seemed to liven Mariner's mood.

"Nice! Come on, I got some really good stuff to show you, Ten."

-

"Oh jeez, where did everyone go?"

Mariner looked around, realizing that she and Tendi were the only ones left. Well, the bartender was there too.

"Hey, what time is it?", Tendi asked the bartender.

"Almost midnight.", he responded.

Okay, maybe they did drink a bit too much. They clearly lost track of time, and Tendi was definitely starting to feel a little inebriated. Mariner, sitting across from her, seemed to also having difficulty keeping her speech together. But she wasn't totally wasted as she could sometimes be, though that was probably because of the limit of drinks that the ship mandated.

"You want us to leave, don't you?", Mariner asked the bartender. He didn't give a direct answer, but his face clearly said he wanted them gone so he could go to bed. "Aiight, we're out.", she continued and she quickly got up to leave. Tendi followed quickly. In the turbolift, Tedni stood in silence, but she could see that her friend was....disappointed?

"Becke-Mariner, are you okay?"

"Yeah, just....a little sad."

"Why?"

" 'Cause, y'know, I just wanted to do some fun stuff with you tonight, and I just kept running my mouth. I know you were looking forward to this and I-"

"Mariner, I'm always happy to just hang out with you. Whatever it is, whether it's a mission or a conversation, it's enough for me." Tendi gave her a warm smile while putting a hand on her shoulder. That didn't seem to completely work though, as Mariner still showed some sadness in her eyes. So, she decided to start the first part of he quickly made up plan.

"You want to still dance? I know a private area that not too many folks go around that we can use."

That seemed to work. "Ten, this is why I'm friends with you."

Friend. Maybe not the result she wanted, but the night wasn't over yet.

-

"So, what type of music you like?", Mariner asked Tendi.

"Have you ever heard of a genre called dream pop? It was this really unique type of music that was popular in the 1980s on Earth, and gained a minor resurgence in the early 21st century. There should be one or two artists on there."

Unsure of what the music was like, Mariner still decided to give it a look. She found an early 21st century artist that fell under the genre. She chose a song, and fell in love with it within the first few minutes.

"Oh yeah, this is good! This is good, Tendi!"

Tendi was just happy that Mariner liked something that she liked. So much so that she forgot that Mariner wanted to dance and was a bit surprised when the latter pulled her up to her feet. With no real direction, Mariner started dancing around, guiding Tendi.

Tendi was not someone who usually danced, and for a brief second, she was nervous. But very quickly, she just chose to embrace the energy and fun of it. The two of them didn't really do a consistent style of dance, and it was more just them twirling around the room and going side to side. For a while, it felt like they weren't even on the ship anymore. It felt more like they were in their own little world, both of them laughing and happy to just have each other.

Eventually, the two got too fast, and both accidentally fell to the ground, Mariner on top of Tendi.

"Oh jeez, are you alright?", Mariner asked, a bit of genuine concern in her voice.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine.", Tendi chuckled, infectiously causing Mariner to laugh too. After they finished, they shared a moment of silence, just staring at each other and taking in their time together.

Maybe it was the fact that she was a little inebriated. Maybe it was a natural instinct. Maybe she felt it was finally the right time. But in that moment, Tendi chose to admit her feelings to Mariner. She leaned in with eyes closed to kiss the woman with her.

Only she felt no contact.

"Tendi."

That tone was different. Tendi shot open her eyes, and her worst nightmare was realized.

Mariner, sitting straight up and further away from Tendi, had a shocked expression on her face. And it didn't look like one of happiness.

"I-I'm...oh no. Mariner I-" Tendi couldn't finish. She lost her voice, and this time, the tears finally came out. She got up quickly and ran off.

"Wait, Tendi!", Mariner shouted, but she didn't stop. Anywhere was better than there.

-

Tendi sat in a closet, crying her eyes out. She knew she blew it, and was worried about what this meant for the future. Mariner must hate her now. Oh god, what if she told Rutherford and Boimler, what would they think? What if word got around the ship about what she did? What if the Captain-

A knock came at the closet.

"Tendi?"

This night just kept getting worse, didn't it? She figured it was best just to face what was coming now rather than try to delay it, so she opened the door, though with no verbal response.

"Tendi, can we talk?"

"What's there to talk about?"

"Ten, look-"

"Please don't call me that."

"Okay. Tendi, can you come with me?"

"Where?"

"I don't know, just somewhere private."

Tendi reluctantly nodded. The two silently went down the ship's corridors, neither of them daring to look at each other. Eventually, they found an isolated area that had a window which showcased the large universe they traveled through.

"You know, I sometimes come down here when I need to be alone.", Mariner started. "When stuff gets hectic, and I just need time to think. I know this sounds strange from me, but I do like some quiet moments."

Tendi wasn't sure how to respond, not wanting to offend Mariner.

"You know how I asked you at the beginning of the night not to apologize for anything?" The Orion nodded. "Well, I still don't want you to if you were planning on doing so for what happened."

"It was still dumb of me to do, and-"

"D'Vana, please stop and look at me." Tendi complied. Mariner's look wasn't of anger or disappointment. It was more....understanding.

"Look, I...", Mariner started, only to stop and think. "You know, I think it's best I just show you instead of telling."

With that, she kissed Tendi. It was a soft, gentle kiss but one that still had warmth to it. Tendi, upon realizing what was happening, quickly returned the same energy. They stayed that way for what felt like a long time before breaking up.

Tendi couldn't believe it. "You-?"

"Yeah."

Mariner brought the two down to sit on the floor, keeping her companion close. They still needed time to process what happened.

"You wanna stay here for a while, just to watch the stars?"

Tendi smiled. "Yeah, I'd like that."

The two turned to the window, Tendi laying her head on Mariner's shoulder. The latter kept her arm around the girl.

For the rest of their time there they just enjoyed their company in silence. It wasn't long, but the two loved it. Tendi was just grateful. She couldn't have asked for a better ending.

After a while, she fell asleep, though Mariner didn't realize this for about a minute. She picked up the girl and carried her back to the bunks, where everyone had long since fallen asleep. Tendi was smaller and lighter so it wasn't a major trial for her. 

"Night, hun.", Mariner whispered as she placed Tendi in her bunk.


	10. Epilogue

When Tendi awoke the next morning, Rutherford and Boimler were about to head off for the day. Mariner wasn't around though.

"Oh hey, you're up. We weren't sure if we should wake you or not.", Rutherford said.

Tendi, still feeling the effects from last night's drinks, rubbed her head to soothe it. "What time is it?"

"Nine-forty eight.", Boimler quickly mentioned. Tendi's eyes shot up.

"Crap, I'm gonna be late!", she exclaimed, rushing out of her bed with her datapad. "I'll see you guys later!", she shouted down the hall, leaving her friends a bit surprised at her sudden energy. The turbolift conveniently opened for her as she got their, but her speed almost caused her to crash into the wall when she got inside. She was able to save herself though, and quickly set for the med bay.

Taking a moment, Tendi thought about last night. It happened. Unless last night was just some fever dream, what she had been hoping for came to life. Mariner liked her, it was a genuine love. This should have made her ecstatic. But for some reason, something still felt off.

Was it something that could be sustained by both of them? Did Mariner want a genuine relationship? What if they did pursue something like that and it ended up not being what either of them wanted? What if-

The turbolift stopped, not at Tendi's level though. It opened, revealing, who else?

Mariner.

"Um, hey.", Mariner said.

"Hi.", Tendi croaked as Mariner entered.

As the lift started and went to Mariner's destination (was just a few levels below Tendi's), the two stood in silence for a while. That seemed to be the way Tendi preferred, but Mariner was looking confused.

"Are you okay, Tendi? The buzz still there from last night?", Mariner joked. Tendi put out a polite laugh. "Yeah, a little.", she stated. That didn't seem to convince Mariner though.

"Nah, something's up."

Tendi sighed. "I suck at lying."

"Yeah, a little.", Mariner started, before putting her arm around Tendi. "So what's up?"

"Last night...", Tendi started, before stopping herself. Was that the wrong way to put it? The sudden look of concern on Mariner's face said so.

"Did I do something wrong? Was I too-"

"NO!", Tendi interrupted. "No, it wasn't you. I-I'm really happy that you feel the way I feel. It's just.....can we?"

"Can we what?"

"You know, do it?"

Mariner raised an eyebrow at that. "You mean like..."

Tendi smacked herself upon realizing what Mariner was implying. "No, not that! I mean a relationship, you and I. Would that actually work? Would it be allowed? Do you....do you even want it?"

"Tendi, I do want it. Why wouldn't I?"

"I mean, I wasn't sure if I was your type, or if you were even attracted to women."

That last part caused Mariner to giggle. "Wow, I knew my mom was oblivious but it really wasn't that obvious?" Tendi seemed confused by that, so Mariner clarified: "You remember my friend Ramsey?" 

Tendi nodded.

"Well....we had a thing at the Academy.", Mariner revealed, laughing at how Tendi's jaw dropped.

"Oh man, I'm so stupid and oblivious.", Tendi reprimanded herself. "But, getting back to the point....do you want to have a relationship?"

Mariner, in a rare move, seemed to get serious, her expression more contemplative.

"I would. But I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't be a little scared."

That surprised Tendi. "Scared? You of all people?"

"I know, but, to tell you the truth, I'm not good with relationships. I usually end up scaring or annoying anyone I try to date, which is why Ramsey and I never went far. 'Cause I actually really liked her, and I didn't want to ruin what we already had."

Seeing that Mariner was looking more depressed and down on herself, Tendi pulled her closer. "That's why I was worried to tell you about how I felt. But, I'm willing to take that risk with you. If you want to, of course."

Mariner, her spirits lifted, cupped Tendi's face with her hands. "I do want to." Tendi allowed a blush to appear on her face.

"I should probably tell you something, though."

"What?"

"I uh, have never been in a relationship before."

That seemed to shock Mariner the most. "Seriously? No one has courted you?"

"I mean, I haven't really tried to pursue one in the first place."

"Doesn't matter, anyone with half a brain would be going after you."

"Well, I mean...thank you, Beckett."

"Totally, and I mean that, D'Vana."

Another moment of silence passed between them.

"So, later tonight, you wanna try to set up some time together?", Mariner asked.

"Yeah, we can talk at dinner."

"Nice." The lift was about to reach Mariner's destination, so she felt now was the best time to say goodbye. But rather than through a verbal way, she chose a kiss on Tendi's cheek. The Orion seemed to react well to it.

After reaching her level, Mariner walked out, turning around and mouthing "I love you" to her new girlfriend before the door shut.

Tendi finally took it all in, and allowed herself to audibly express her excitement by yelping.

In that moment, everything was going great.

-

"Good morning, Dr. T'Ana."

"Morning, Ensign.", T'Ana said, fiddling with her device. She quickly took notice of the more chipper than usual attitude that Tendi had. "What's going on with you today?"

"I think you know.", the Orion cooed. T'Ana didn't get it at first.

"Uh, I don't know. I'm not sure exactly what you're trying to imply, but I-" Then she saw Tendi's expression, and it hit her. "Oh."

Tendi burst into laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey it's finally done. Thank you all for reading.


End file.
